World Touring Car Championship announces restructured calendar for 2012

The Marrakech street race also makes a return after a one-year absence.

In recent years the WTCC has opened in Brazil before returning to Europe, and then concluded with Asian dates.

For 2012, the Brazilian rounds at Curitiba move to July, as the start of a five-event non-European stint that also sees the WTCC make its first appearance in the USA at Sears Point on 23 September, before heading to Asia for the final three rounds in Japan, China and Macau. The change is designed to reduce transportation costs.

The Marrakech street track will host rounds 11 and 12 on 20 May. After appearing on the 2009 and 2010 calendars, it had to be cancelled this year and replaced with a round at the Hungaroring, which remains on the schedule.

The fourth event of the season was originally announced as a meeting at the Salzburgring, which would have been the WTCC's first appearance in Austria. But a subsequent amendment saw that date instead listed as a provisional race in Germany.

Donington Park retains the British date, while unlike this year there will not be rounds in the Czech Republic or Belgium as Brno and Zolder fall off the calendar.

2012 WTCC schedule:

11 March      Monza, Italy
1 April       Valencia, Spain
15 April      Donington Park, UK
29 April      tba, Germany
6 May         Budapest, Hungary
20 May        Marrakech, Morocco
10 June       Porto, Portugal
22 July       Curitiba, Brazil
23 September  Sonoma, USA
21 October    Suzuka, Japan
4 November    Shanghai, China
18 November   Macau